American Rhetoric: A Movie Speech

Queen Elizabeth Addresses Rival Clergy on a Unified Church of England

           

  I watched a movie clip from American Rhetoric Movie Speeches, transcription by Michael E. Eidenmuller, was about an address Queen Elizabeth made to a rival Clergy. She is trying to convince this rival Clergy to vote and pass an Act of Uniformity. The rival Clergy asked to marry first then they may consider her words. She replied with, "Aye, but marry who, Your Grace? Would you give me some suggestions?" Then she goes on to say, "For some say "France" and others "Spain" and some cannot abide foreigners at all. So, I'm not sure how best to please you, unless I marry one of each." The Clergy asked if she was mocking the sanctity of marriage, and she lashed back with the fact a couple of the Clergy had been married a few times. She was trying to convey how being married or not being married had nothing to do with what she was talking about. She was trying to persuade the rival Clergy how a unity would be the best thing for her people and not for herself.

  I like how clever she was in her speech with the Rival Clergy. Her place is stated several times, the first was without her saying anything because she was the Queen of England. She also states her place by saying she is a woman. She shows a connection in her address by stating that this Act of Uniformity is for her people and not for herself. She also says, near the end of her address, "Each of you must vote according to your conscience. But remember this: In your hands, upon this moment lies the future happiness of my people and the peace of this realm...." She used logic when saying that common sense is an English Virtue, and when she said to a Clergy, "How can I force you, Your Grace? I am a woman I have no desire to make windows into men's souls. I simply ask, can any man, in truth, serve two masters and be faithful to both?" In my opinion her mentioning that she was a woman and could never make them do anything was a very clever thing to do to help her win over the attention of the Clergy. Her address is very manipulative but necessary in that age of time.  She made their comments work to her advantage, basically convincing them with; modesty, humor, knowledge and logic. Queen Elizabeth used all three forms of Rhetoric in her address; Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.